The Breaking Wave….. From C.A.A.T……
by Bernie Bell - 09:22 on 16 November 2025
The Breaking Wave…..
For those of you who have been following Ian’s story…..he passed from this life on Friday.
I wrote this to mutual friend Pete Smith before I heard the news – and it just about says what I have to say....
"Re. Ian – I’m thinking about him a lot recently – obviously! He knows he’s going, we know he’s going, and it set me off thinking about those that I’ll be sorry to see go. In Ian’s case it might be something of a relief for him – tho’ hard on Hilary and his family. I’m going to go off on one a bit now. There are people that I think of as ‘real folk’ – they don’t bull-shit and they….LIVE. When I find one of these people I value them.
I can get on OK with lots of different kinds of people, but I do value the ’real folk’. Quite a few have gone in recent years/decades – that’s what happens when a person gets old – but – still – it’s not comfortable to have less and less people that you can have exchanges with, based on an understanding and lack of ego, non-sense or self-pity.
And, of course – the world loses one of the people it can least afford to lose.
End of that."
I missed mentioning humour - his humour never failed him.
The works of Ian Marchant….varied, informative & entertaining…
In Southern Waters - 1999, Victor Gollancz
The Battle For Dole Acre - 2001, Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Crypts, Caves and Tunnels of London - 2002, Watling Street Publishing
Men and Models - 2003, New Holland
Parallel Lines - 2003, Bloomsbury[12]
The Longest Crawl - 2006, Bloomsbury[12]
Something of the Night - 2012, Simon and Schuster[13]
A Hero for High Times - 2018, Jonathan Cape[14]
One Fine Day (A Journey Through English Time) – 2023, September Publishing
The Breaking Wave – 2025, Peter and jane Books
Read his books, and get to know him.
He was also a musician/performer…..
I won’t say ‘Rest in Peace’ – I’ll say – ‘Stay Groovy, wherever you are.’
***************************************************************
From C.A.A.T……
“CAAT recently wrote with urgency regarding the British military equipment exported to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that is being used by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to commit massacres in Sudan.
British engines, made by Cummins Inc, found in armoured vehicles and British-made small weapons target devices made by Militec, have been discovered in combat zones in Sudan. Take action now and call for an arms embargo on the UAE!
Last week, CAAT supported Green MP Ellie Chowns to call for an immediate arms embargo on the UAE in the House of Commons. Chowns called for a full review of the UK’s export-licensing system, describing it as neither functioning nor fit for purpose.
The UK already has an arms embargo on Sudan. All UK export licence applications are supposed to be assessed for their risk of diversion to arms-embargoed countries. The British Militec small weapons target devices that were exported to the UAE would have gone through this assessment, yet still were found in Sudan.
This demonstrates a complete failure of our government’s arms export licensing system. The time is now to call for an arms embargo on the UAE!
Last week, CAAT supported Green MP Ellie Chowns to call for an immediate arms embargo on the UAE in the House of Commons. Chowns called for a full review of the UK’s export-licensing system, describing it as neither functioning nor fit for purpose.
The UK already has an arms embargo on Sudan. All UK export licence applications are supposed to be assessed for their risk of diversion to arms-embargoed countries. The British Militec small weapons target devices that were exported to the UAE would have gone through this assessment, yet still were found in Sudan.
This demonstrates a complete failure of our government’s arms export licensing system. The time is now to call for an arms embargo on the UAE!
Last week, CAAT supported Green MP Ellie Chowns to call for an immediate arms embargo on the UAE in the House of Commons. Chowns called for a full review of the UK’s export-licensing system, describing it as neither functioning nor fit for purpose.
The UK already has an arms embargo on Sudan. All UK export licence applications are supposed to be assessed for their risk of diversion to arms-embargoed countries. The British Militec small weapons target devices that were exported to the UAE would have gone through this assessment, yet still were found in Sudan.
This demonstrates a complete failure of our government’s arms export licensing system. The time is now to call for an arms embargo on the UAE!
Last week, CAAT supported Green MP Ellie Chowns to call for an immediate arms embargo on the UAE in the House of Commons. Chowns called for a full review of the UK’s export-licensing system, describing it as neither functioning nor fit for purpose.
The UK already has an arms embargo on Sudan. All UK export licence applications are supposed to be assessed for their risk of diversion to arms-embargoed countries. The British Militec small weapons target devices that were exported to the UAE would have gone through this assessment, yet still were found in Sudan.
This demonstrates a complete failure of our government’s arms export licensing system. The time is now to call for an arms embargo on the UAE!
https://caat.org.uk/sign-the-petition-arms-embargo-on-the-uae-now/
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Thank you for your continued support in resisting the deadly arms trade,
Zoe and everyone at Campaign Against Arms Trade"
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